In our college football writers’ roundtable, beat writers Lia Assimakopoulos and Shawn McFarland and columnist Kevin Sherrington tackle trending issues surrounding the sport. You can follow them on X at @Lassimak, @McFarland_Shawn and @KSherringtonDMN.
This week, our writers discuss the Heisman race, the college football coaching carousel and more.
Marcel Reed has officially entered the Heisman conversation after leading Texas A&M to a win over LSU. How realistic of a shot does he have at becoming A&M’s first Heisman winner since Johnny Manziel?
Assimakopoulos: The Aggies are in rare company, as one of very few teams to emerge unscathed through eight games. As long as that continues, Reed should be near the top of any ballot. Nearly 2,000 yards passing already and 23 total touchdowns keeps him right in line with the other frontrunners. With two ranked opponents still on the schedule and a potential spot in the SEC championship game, there are still plenty of big stages for him to win voters over on.
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McFarland: He may need to kick into another gear to seriously catch Alabama’s Ty Simpson or Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza in the race. His signature moments — specifically road wins at Notre Dame and LSU — carry serious weight. So would an A&M playoff berth and, potentially, a win on the road at Texas to finish the season and clinch a spot in the bracket. He’ll have the opportunities to make his case.
Sherrington: As long as the Aggies keep winning, he’s got as good of a shot as anyone. He outplayed Garrett Nussmeier at LSU. The two interceptions were both tipped. He’s got a couple of dynamic receiving threats in KC Concepcion and Mario Craver, which will help, and he’s a big-time threat in the open field.
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For a second straight week, Steve Sarkisian called the Longhorns’ overtime victory over a subpar opponent a culture win. Should the Longhorns be more optimistic about their ability to come back or concerned that they were in those positions against lesser teams?
Assimakopoulos: Resilience is important, but it feels like Sark is looking for ways to put a positive spin on a concerning trend. The SEC loves to tout its week-in, week-out gauntlet, but narrow wins over Kentucky and Mississippi State are nothing to brag about. We’ll see what happens when they take on a real tough opponent. Who would’ve thought that’s how we’d be describing Vanderbilt in late October?
McFarland: The concern lies in what paths the Longhorns have to fix this thing and avoid further traps. The offensive line remains suspect. The run game is average at best. The skill position players aren’t as talented as those who helped anchor the team’s last two playoff runs. If they couldn’t shake things loose against Florida, Kentucky and Mississippi State, why should they be able to against Vanderbilt, Georgia and Texas A&M?
Sherrington: Texas is playing with fire every week, it seems like. Only a question of time before the Horns get burned. The issues go beyond Arch Manning, who’s in concussion protocol and may be unavailable for Vanderbilt. The defense, once a strong point, hasn’t been consistent. Plenty to clean up.
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The Big 12 had a season-high five teams represented in Sunday’s AP top 25 poll: No. 10 BYU, No. 13 Texas Tech, No. 17 Cincinnati, No. 22 Houston and No. 24 Utah. Does the Big 12 deserve more respect than it’s getting?
Assimakopoulos: The Big 12 feels like an enigma to me, and I don’t feel like I’ll have a clear understanding of how good it is until the College Football Playoff. But Texas Tech vs. BYU next week will be an exciting matchup and may have some significant implications when it comes to which Big 12 team gets a chance to compete for a national title.
McFarland: Respect is earned in the playoffs. Yeah, it’s been a nice regular season for the conference, but it’s difficult to praise it in similar regards to the SEC and Big 10 until one of its members makes a serious postseason run. The Big 12 is 1-7 in the CFP era. Change that, and we can talk.
Sherrington: Tech seemed like a world-beater until that loss at Arizona State, which lost at home to Houston, which lost to Tech at home by 24. It’s a crazy league. We’ll have a much better idea next week when BYU plays in Lubbock.
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Brian Kelly’s firing at LSU adds to the long list of open power conference head coaching jobs available around the nation, including Penn State, Florida and Oklahoma State. Could you see any area coaching candidates, such as UNT’s Eric Morris and SMU’s Rhett Lashlee, leaving to take one of those openings?
Assimakopoulos: UNT is doing all it can to lock Eric Morris down with an extension through 2029, but if one of those big-time programs comes calling, it’ll be tough to pass up. As for Lashlee, I’m sure his name will be brought up in most SEC searches, but I see those programs reaching for Lane Kiffin, James Franklin, etc. Lashlee’s Mustangs are in a down year, and he has too good of a situation at SMU where the CFP is in reach every year.
McFarland: The number of high-caliber openings only means that competitions for the best candidates will become even more fierce than it would in a regular year. That doesn’t include jobs that could open up. Morris and Lashlee are going to be called upon. My guess? Morris leaves, Lashlee stays.
Sherrington: UNT needs to enjoy this while it lasts, because Morris is already a hot candidate for multiple jobs, and he’ll likely take his defensive coordinator and quarterback with him. Pretty nice package. He seems like a good candidate for Oklahoma State or Arkansas. Lashlee is a natural for the Razorbacks considering he grew up just down the road and was a quarterback at Arkansas. But he’s got an easier path to the playoffs with SMU in the ACC.
After a 5-0 start, Oklahoma has lost two of its last three. The Sooners schedule won’t get any easier, as they face No. 14 Tennessee and No. 4 Alabama on the road followed by home matchups against No. 19 Mizzou and LSU. Does Oklahoma have to win all four games to get back in the College Football Playoff picture?
Assimakopoulos: I think a three-loss Oklahoma team can get into the College Football Playoff if one of those losses is the conference championship. Otherwise, it’s a difficult case to make. So yes, they’d need to win out — or hope the SEC continues to cannibalize itself and everyone has a few losses heading into the committee’s selection.
McFarland: Hey, if you beat three ranked teams to finish the season and total just two losses, I’d have a hard time keeping you from the postseason. It’d come down to the bubble teams around the Sooners that might squeeze them out. The SEC has cachet, though, and how a team finishes may be more important than how it starts. Three losses is an entirely different story.
Sherrington: Alabama got left out of the playoffs with three losses last year, and proved the committee right by losing its bowl game. A lesson for Oklahoma. John Mateer says it’s not his thumb, but, whatever it is, he looks like a different quarterback against good defenses.
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